The Center Street bridge over Highway 45 is set to be replaced in two years. The DOT was explaining that plan to neighbors Wednesday evening, but it's the people who live in the neighborhood who are telling the DOT to keep off their lawns.

He has lived near the Center Street Bridge since shortly after it was built. But with a new bridge in the works as part of the Zoo Interchange project, Brucker said he doesn't want the sidewalks that are set to come with the project or the cost associated with them.

"We would have to pay for this too, and no way am I going to pay for that," Brucker said.

Neighbor Joni Bell worries that sidewalks will destroy the look of the neighborhood.

"I don't want a sidewalk put in here because it takes away from the character of the area. It gives it personality not to have one here," Bell said.

But with three schools within a block of the bridge, the argument for sidewalks is that they improve safety.

"I've always wondered why there's no sidewalk because there's no reason for not putting in a sidewalk," Wauwatosa resident Mazen Seddick said.

Seddick lives nearby and walks every day in the street.

"You don't have to worry about cars coming right behind you or in front of you because sometimes people see you and sometimes they won't. You never know what's going to happen. So I think it's really important to put a sidewalk right here," Seddick said.

"There's more cars on the road, less people walking, and now they want to put a sidewalk there," Brucker said.

The Center Street Bridge is slated to be replaced in two years.

The DOT said the final design plan is still only about 60 percent complete and is still subject to some changes. Neighbors said they will fight to make sure sidewalks are not part of the final plan.

SNATCH THE VIOLIN. RIGHT NOW-- THE DOT IS MEETING WITH NEIGHBORS IN THE AREA OF HIGHWAY 45 AND CENTER. BUT NOT BECAUSE OF ROADS OR BRIDGES NEW AT SIX-- WISN-12 NEWS KENT WAINSCOTT JOINS US--KENT, IT'S SIDEWALKS THAT HAVE THOSE NEIGHBORS FIGHTING MAD. LET ME SET THE STAGE FOR YOU. THIS IS THE CENTER STREET OVER HIGHWAY 45. IT'S SET TO BE REPLACED IN TWO YEARS. THE DOT IS EXPLAINING THAT PLAN TO NEIGHBORS RIGHT NOW INSIDE WHITMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL HERE. BUT IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WHO ARE TELLING THE D-O-T TO KEEP OFF THEIR LAWNS. JOHN BRUCKER / WAUWATOSA RESIDENT - THE SIDEWALK GOES RIGHT HERE. THIS IS THE SIDEWALK. 83-YEAR-OLD JOHN BRUCKER IS BRACING FOR A FIGHT. HE HAS LIVED NEAR THE CENTER STREET BRIDGE SINCE SHORTLY AFTER IT WAS BUILT. BUT WITH A NEW BRIDGE IN THE WORKS AS PART OF THE ZOO INTERCHANGE PROJECT, BRUCKER SAYS HE DOESN'T WANT THE SIDEWALKS THAT ZOO INTERCHANGE PROJECT, BRUCKER SAYS HE DOESN'T WANT THE SIDEWALKS THAT ARE SET TO COME WITH THE PROJECT - OR THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. JOHN BRUCKER / WAUWATOSA RESIDENT - WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS TOO, AND NO WAY AM I GOING TO PAY FOR THAT. NEIGHBOR JONI BELL WORRIES THAT SIDEWALKS WILL DESTROY THE LOOK OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. JONI BELL/ WAUWATOSA RESIDENT - I DON'T WANT A SIDEWALK PUT IN HERE BECAUSE IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE CHARACTER OF THE AREA. IT GIVES IT PERSONALITY NOT TO HAVE ONE HERE. BUT WITH THREE SCHOOLS WITHIN A BLOCK OF THE BRIDGE, THE ARGUMENT FOR DAS IS THAT THEY PROVE FETY. MAZEN SEDDICK / WAUWATOSA RESIDENT - I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHY THERE'S NO SIDEWALK, BECAUSE THERE'S NO REASON FOR NOT PUTTING IN A SIDEWALK. MAZEN SEDDICK LIVES NEARBY AND WALKS EVERY DAY, IN THE STREET. MAZEN SEDDICK / WAUWATOSA RESIDENT - YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CARS COMING RIGHT BEHIND YOU OR IN FRONT OF YOU -59- 'CAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE SEE YOU AND SOMETIMES THEY WON'T. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO PUT A SIDEWALK RIGHT HERE. JOHN BRUCKER / WAUWATOSA RESIDENT - IT'S SAFER, YOU DON'T BUY THAT? - NO IT ISN'T, BECAUSE THERE'S LESS STUDENTS. - HERE, LOOK AROUND THERE'S A STUDENT WALKING IN THE STREET. - OK, YOU KNOW HOW MANY STUDENTS YOU'LL SEE? JOHN BRUCKER / WAUWATOSA RESIDENT - THERE'S MORE CARS ON THE ROAD, LESS PEOPLE WALKING, AND NOW THEY WANT TO PUT A SIDEWALK THERE. THE CENTER STREET BRIDGE IS SLATED TO BE REPLACED IN TWO YEARS. BUT THE D-O-T TELLS ME THE FINAL DESIGN PLAN IS STILL ONLY ABOUT 60% COMPLETE, AND STILL SUBJECT TO SOME CHANGES - AND NEIGHBORS SAY THEY'LL FIGHT TO MAKE SURE SIDEWALKS ARE NOT PART OF THE FINAL PLAN. LIVE IN WAUWATOSA, I'M KENT WAINSCOTT WISN-12 NEWS.